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Andreas Eriksson to replace Marcus Grönholm in Las Vegas

Andreas Eriksson, shown in 2011, will replace Marcus Grönholm in Las Vegas later on this month. Photo by LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

After a long summer break, the Global Rallycross Championship picks up again with round five at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 29.

Best Buy Mobile regular driver Marcus Grönholm, the winner of the first two rounds of the championship, is rebuilding his fitness after his accident at X Games 18. It is obviously all but impossible to replace the two-time World Rally Champion and the most successful driver in the GRC, but Best Buy Mobile has found a creative solution to the challenge.

Piloting the Best Buy Mobile Mk 7 Fiesta in Las Vegas will be Andreas Eriksson, the team principal of OMSE that prepares and manages the Ford Fiesta GRC, but who also has a long pedigree as a successful rallycross driver in his own right. Eriksson’s last rallycross appearance was in the 2011 GRC at Snoqualmie, Wash. where he was also substituting for Grönholm and finished with a first and a third. Known for his spectacular and unforgiving style, Eriksson is a huge fan favorite.

Grönholm said, “I am well and I feel fine; however, doctors have set me a date in October for my final round of medical assessments, so I cannot compete in Las Vegas. But I can think of no one better to fill in for me and keep the Best Buy Mobile challenge alive than Andreas. He is fast, but I will be there in Vegas to give him some tips!”

For his part, Eriksson said, “Naturally, Marcus is a very tough act to follow, but as a team, we want to maintain the positive momentum that Best Buy Mobile has in the series. So I will be trying my very best to emulate the success that Marcus has had this season, and we will see how we get on in Las Vegas.”